University of Adelaide. Photo: Paleontour/Wikimedia Commons.

The Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) has commended University of Adelaide’s student union (YouX) for firing the editor of a campus magazine who harassed Jewish students after publishing an essay that called for the “Death of Israel.”

On Wednesday, AUJS Vice President Alissa Foster said that the decision has made Jewish students “feel relieved.”

“Jewish students can find comfort that their university’s student board stands up to racist and bigoted language,” Foster said. “AUJS now calls on the university to follow in the lead of YouX in taking a stronger stance against antisemitism by adopting the IHRA definition.”

YouX’s decision comes after a student media director of On Dit, a student publication, wrote an article titled “For Palestine, there is No Ceasefire,” in which the student described Israel as “genocidal” and argued that “the solution to achieving peace and bringing forth justice for Palestine is to demand the abolition of Israel.”

“Free Palestine and Death to Israel,” the piece said.

The essay frightened Jewish students at the university and prompted Australia’s Online Hate Prevention Institute (OHPI) to implore On Dit’s publisher, Medium, to unpost it. Medium obliged OHPI’s request, but On Dit reposted the student’s work on its Facebook page with a message declaring that it “reaffirms its position.”

“Glory to Intifada. Glory to the resistance. On Dit stands with Palestine through and through and so should you,” the magazine said.

YouX issued a statement on Tuesday announcing its decision to suspend the student from On Dit, explaining that its action was based not on the essay’s content but her “conduct and behavior since the article’s publication.”

“YouX Board found that her recent public conduct would be perceived by any fair-minded person to be threatening the welfare of students at our university,” the statement said. “The decision of the Board is final and concludes all actions and investigations on this matter.”